i'm in the cross country team right now. i'm relatively new, and therefore slow compared to others competing. but i really want to get a medal before october 26 so that i can give the medal to a girl i like as a bday gift. does anybody have any secrets to help me improve w/in a short period of time?
and don't say "practice makes perfect" because i practice like hell, as well as every single other runner out there.
2006-10-05 14:02:35 · 8 answers · asked by onomatopoeia 5 in Sports ➔ Other - Sports
The key to quick improvement is a good recovery. I'm taking it for granted that you're already running yourself ragged at least every other day and eating a healthy, high-carb diet, so recovery is probably the part of your training you've neglected the most so far.
Right after a run, have a small snack that is high in protein. Then take a cold shower. I mean -cold-. As cold as you can stand it. This will contract the blood vessels in your muscles, preventing soreness, and aiding the recovery process. Within 30 minutes to an hour of your run, have a large meal high in proteins and carbohydrates.
Give yourself as much time as you need to recover, if your muscles still feel weak or sore, you are going to lose some of what you've already gained during recovery, you're not going to have as strong of a workout, and you may injure yourself.
Also, your feet are probably killing you. This is mainly caused by compacted layers of skin on the soles of your feet, so be sure to wash your feet well and use an exfoliant of some sort to get that dead skin off. Your sister probably has something along those lines.
If you're interested, there is a ton of material out there on the net on recovery plans for all sorts of workout schedules. Good luck!
Oh, also, on a different track, run intervals if you aren't already. Once or twice a week, sprint at intervals throughout your normal run. Just run hell-for-leather until you feel like you're about to die, then go back to your regular pace, but... DO NOT STOP, or you will cramp up and lose out on the rest of your run. This kind of training really helps your endurance and VO2.
2006-10-05 14:12:12 · answer #1 · answered by Argon 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Instead of trying to get the medal in cross-country, enter a road race that gives you a medal for finishing. Even some of the 5k's (such as Race for the Cure,) will give you a finisher's medal. If you do a 1/2 marathon or a marathon, you will get a finisher's medal for sure. Give that to your girl. It still means something that you went and did the race so that you can give her the medal! To find a race near you, go to www.active.com
Good luck and I hope you score big points with your girlfriend!
2006-10-06 03:24:12 · answer #2 · answered by runningviolin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our cross country team here won state and placed 7th in the country. This team ran 10-12 miles a day even though the actual meets are only 2 miles(might be 3 cant remember). They ran that every day without stopping and keeping a steady pace. Of course if you are just starting you can't just run 12 without taking a break. But if you get that down, running in the meets is a breeze.
2006-10-05 21:13:13 · answer #3 · answered by Squawkers 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because oct 26 is so short away, i hate to say it but you have to train like an animal, harder than you are now. wake up early run. especially intervals. run at practice if you have it that day. and then try a nice run at the end of the day. You really gotta step it up if you want to win a medal before then. 3 times a day. ha wow thats insane. i wouldn't do it, but if you really want to win, you got to.
2006-10-05 21:38:56 · answer #4 · answered by joeyschiliro 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well if you want to get stronger faster run(of course) but when you run jog at a reasonable speed but at intervals just run as fast as you can until another interval, don't stop afterwards just return to jogging keep doing it. afterwards eat those protein candy that tastes like crap. oh and run every other day and eat a lot of fish and eggs. thats usualy the fastest way to get better. good luck
ex: while your jogging start running really fast at a tree and stop at the stop sign or w/e.
2006-10-05 21:12:32 · answer #5 · answered by aznxpranksta69 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do A lot of Tempo Runs & dont go to fast on your Recovery Days
2006-10-06 13:05:12 · answer #6 · answered by spazdogrunner 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
aw thats so cute. so you should work with endurance. i was in cross country last year and i kept working with endurance. first i went for longer runs at a slower pace. later on in the season, i tried shorter runs at a faster speed. then eventually i built my endurance at a faster speed. good luck!
2006-10-05 21:12:00 · answer #7 · answered by mel 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
one thing is diet, make sure it's well balanced, and healthy. Unsaturated fats are good while saturated bad. Make sure you eat fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats. I wouldn't suggest dairy but others may disagree.
2006-10-05 22:00:34 · answer #8 · answered by Rusty S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋